Fast Funding for Your Business

Here's How To Pick A Factoring Company That Will Give You Everything You Need... And More!

You might think that all factoring companies do the same thing- give you cash for your invoices. Well, that's true, but some companies actually go above and beyond to give you first class service.

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Chicago Factoring Companies

New to Factoring?

For those who aren't familiar with factoring, it is basically a fast way to get cash to run your business.

Factoring is Not a Loan

When you send your customers an invoice, they usually have 30 days to pay you back. Factoring companies will give you the bulk of the cash up front, sometimes within 24 hours, and collect the payments from your customers themselves. Once the invoices are paid in full, you’ll get the balance left over, minus a small fee.

Factoring Doesn't Require Debt

So how do you go about choosing the best factoring company?

Not all of them are created equal. Not all of them will give you the same level of service you need to help grow your business.

Everyone claims they have the simplest rate structure in the industry, no long-term contracts, same day funding, no up-front fees, no monthly minimums or maximums, etc., etc., etc.

We also offer these same benefits, but we GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR YOU that other factoring companies don’t.

Here’s Why We Are The Factoring Company You Need For Your Chicago Business

No other factoring company matches our level of superior service and offerings.

Financially Strong

We have been in business since 1979, are privately held, and have a proven track record of being financially strong. We have survived many economic downturns and in doing so, can help you through any difficult times you might encounter. We won’t go out of business when the times get tough, like some other factoring companies regretfully have in the past.

Part of a Vast Network

Every factoring company has a preference for size, industry, and risk. It’s impossible for you to know which company is the best fit for you. By contacting us, we can save you a tremendous amount of time by helping you find the best match for your business - whether it’s with us or another company.

We have a vast network of industry colleagues that we’ve built over 20+ years in the business. So, when you take the time to explain your needs to us, we can be the “one stop shop” to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

No Minimum

Most factoring companies will allow you to pick & choose customers to factor, however they usually have a minimum amount before they’ll work with you. With us, you can pick & choose what to factor on an invoice by invoice basis with no minimum.

Our factoring agreement is like carrying a credit card in your pocket. You carry it to use when you need it but don’t sign an agreement which will force you into factoring when you don’t need it.

Transparent Fees

Most factoring companies are not upfront about their fees. We are different. We are totally transparent about our fees. When you apply, you are provided a transparent, no obligation rate proposal with the fee for your company.

Our typical contract term is 90 days and we offer price breaks for extended term contracts as well as volume discounts. Optional services include $7/ACH for next-day funds sent electronically to your bank account or $12/wire for same-day funds. Invoices can be scanned and electronically uploaded directly to our secure server for $9/batch. In instances when original invoices are required, we offer discounted rates with Federal Express to submit your invoices.

That’s it! See which other factoring company, if any, will be totally up front with their fees before they try and get your business.

Higher Advance Rates

An “advance” rate is the percent of the invoice face value that you’ll receive upfront. Industry average advance rates are 70-90% of the face value of the invoice. So, for example, if your customer owes you $1,000, you should expect to receive an advance payment of $700 to $900 to your account. Our typical advance rates are higher than average - at 85-97% depending on industry and payment track record.

Personalized Solutions

We are not beholden to Wall Street investor money. We are a privately held company and don’t answer to investors or boards. We are like-minded entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to run a business. We take the time to hear your story, learn your struggles, and put together a solution for you rather than relying on an algorithm to determine your company’s value. Who do you want to rely on as a cash flow partner to fund your business?

Dedicated Account Administrators

Many factoring companies have either a lot of employee turnover, a complex voice mail system that you get lost in or operate call centers where you talk with a new representative every time you call in. We offer dedicated account administrators to be your point of contact – who knows your business intimately, and can help you in ways others just can’t.

Industry Veterans

We have been in business since 1979 and have staff who are dedicated to working in this industry as a career. We are veterans in this industry and can provide additional business guidance and resources as needed.

Our Business is Your Business

We establish a mutual risk tolerance to avoid putting you in the position to ever have to buy back an invoice. We also keep track of each invoice and follow them like your own credit and collections department would. Once they hit the payment date we place friendly reminder calls and/or emails on your behalf and keep notes as to when it is scheduled to be paid, and send copies if needed until payment is received.

Payment Trend Alerts

You will have access to online aging reports and your dedicated account administrator is kept in the loop and given advance notice of any collection issues so there are no surprises.

Up-to-Date Customer Credit History

You get direct online access to your customer’s business credit reports, or you can call and speak with your account administrator – your choice. Stay ahead of negative payment trends. This is critical to running your business and filling your next order.

Leading Edge Technology

We make strides to incorporate the latest technology to expedite the funding process, such as electronic submission of invoices, online reports, online credit checking and other emerging methods to streamline the process and reduce overhead, which means lower rates for you. Most other companies don’t even come close.

Financially Strong

We have been in business since 1979, are privately held, and have a proven track record of being financially strong. We have survived many economic downturns and in doing so, can help you through any difficult times you might encounter. We won’t go out of business when the times get tough, like some other factoring companies regretfully have in the past.

Part of a Vast Network

Every factoring company has a preference for size, industry, and risk. It’s impossible for you to know which company is the best fit for you. By contacting us, we can save you a tremendous amount of time by helping you find the best match for your business - whether it’s with us or another company.

We have a vast network of industry colleagues that we’ve built over 20+ years in the business. So, when you take the time to explain your needs to us, we can be the “one stop shop” to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

No Minimum

Most factoring companies will allow you to pick & choose customers to factor, however they usually have a minimum amount before they’ll work with you. With us, you can pick & choose what to factor on an invoice by invoice basis with no minimum.

Our factoring agreement is like carrying a credit card in your pocket. You carry it to use when you need it but don’t sign an agreement which will force you into factoring when you don’t need it.

Transparent Fees

Most factoring companies are not upfront about their fees. We are different. We are totally transparent about our fees. When you apply, you are provided a transparent, no obligation rate proposal with the fee for your company.

Our typical contract term is 90 days and we offer price breaks for extended term contracts as well as volume discounts. Optional services include $7/ACH for next-day funds sent electronically to your bank account or $12/wire for same-day funds. Invoices can be scanned and electronically uploaded directly to our secure server for $9/batch. In instances when original invoices are required, we offer discounted rates with Federal Express to submit your invoices.

That’s it! See which other factoring company, if any, will be totally up front with their fees before they try and get your business.

Higher Advance Rates

An “advance” rate is the percent of the invoice face value that you’ll receive upfront. Industry average advance rates are 70-90% of the face value of the invoice. So, for example, if your customer owes you $1,000, you should expect to receive an advance payment of $700 to $900 to your account. Our typical advance rates are higher than average - at 85-97% depending on industry and payment track record.

Personalized Solutions

We are not beholden to Wall Street investor money. We are a privately held company and don’t answer to investors or boards. We are like-minded entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to run a business. We take the time to hear your story, learn your struggles, and put together a solution for you rather than relying on an algorithm to determine your company’s value. Who do you want to rely on as a cash flow partner to fund your business?

Dedicated Account Administrators

Many factoring companies have either a lot of employee turnover, a complex voice mail system that you get lost in or operate call centers where you talk with a new representative every time you call in. We offer dedicated account administrators to be your point of contact – who knows your business intimately, and can help you in ways others just can’t.

Industry Veterans

We have been in business since 1979 and have staff who are dedicated to working in this industry as a career. We are veterans in this industry and can provide additional business guidance and resources as needed.

Our Business is Your Business

We establish a mutual risk tolerance to avoid putting you in the position to ever have to buy back an invoice. We also keep track of each invoice and follow them like your own credit and collections department would. Once they hit the payment date we place friendly reminder calls and/or emails on your behalf and keep notes as to when it is scheduled to be paid, and send copies if needed until payment is received.

Payment Trend Alerts

You will have access to online aging reports and your dedicated account administrator is kept in the loop and given advance notice of any collection issues so there are no surprises.

Up-to-Date Customer Credit History

You get direct online access to your customer’s business credit reports, or you can call and speak with your account administrator – your choice. Stay ahead of negative payment trends. This is critical to running your business and filling your next order.

Leading Edge Technology

We make strides to incorporate the latest technology to expedite the funding process, such as electronic submission of invoices, online reports, online credit checking and other emerging methods to streamline the process and reduce overhead, which means lower rates for you. Most other companies don’t even come close.

As you can see, we simply have more to offer you.

Other factoring companies don’t even compare.

And Not All Factoring Companies Can Say This:

More than half of our new business comes through client referrals.

So, Can Your Chicago Company Use Factoring?

Of Course! Companies of all sizes, from small privately-owned companies to large multi-national corporations, use factoring as a way to increase their cash flow. Factoring spans all industries, including trucking, transportation, manufacturing and distribution, textiles, oil and gas, staffing agencies and more.

Companies use the cash generated from factoring to pay for inventory, buy new equipment, add employees, expand operations—basically any expenses related to their business. Factoring allows a company to make quicker decisions and expand at a faster pace.

Unlike a bank loan, factoring has…

No principle or interest to pay over time

No debt to repay

Unlimited funding potential – no caps

Fast funding – no waiting months like at a bank

Approval is based on the strength of your clients, not your credit

Startups are welcome in using funding services

Some of the benefits you receive with factoring are:

Stop worrying about cash flow issues and start spending more time on your business.

No need to make monthly payments to repay a loan.

Receive money in as soon as two to four days – or sooner.

Reduce business costs associated with the collection process.

Win the battle against slow-paying clients.

Get instant credit evaluations for new customers.

Have complete control over your cash flow by deciding which invoices to sell and when.

Enjoy bulk-purchasing discounts or early payment discounts by having extra cash.

Improve your credit rating by having cash on hand to pay bills on time.

You get complete and detailed reports about your accounts receivable portfolio.

Provides cash for your expansion.

Provides cash for your marketing.

Improves your overall financial statement.

Stop worrying about cash flow issues and start spending more time on your business.

No need to make monthly payments to repay a loan.

Receive money in as soon as two to four days – or sooner.

Reduce business costs associated with the collection process.

Win the battle against slow-paying clients.

Get instant credit evaluations for new customers.

Have complete control over your cash flow by deciding which invoices to sell and when.

Enjoy bulk-purchasing discounts or early payment discounts by having extra cash.

Improve your credit rating by having cash on hand to pay bills on time.

You get complete and detailed reports about your accounts receivable portfolio.

Provides cash for your expansion.

Provides cash for your marketing.

Improves your overall financial statement.

There it is.

You can get the cash you need for your business without going into debt... without owing any money! And We Will Fund You Fast! Don't wait any longer to get the funding you need. Give us a call today. We're waiting to give you money!

Call us today and let us help you get the cash you need to operate your Chicago business effectively.

The City of Chicago covers an area of 60,000 hectares and sits 176 meters (578 feet) above sea level on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. At 190 km wide and 495 km long, its the 5th largest body of fresh water in the world. The city is traversed by the Chicago and Calumet rivers. Chicago's extensive parklands, including 3,000 hectares of city parks attract an estimated 86 million visitors annually.As a multicultural city that thrives on the harmony and diversity of its neighborhoods, Chicago today embodies the values of America's heartland integrity, hard work and community and reflects the ideals in the social fabric of its 77 distinct neighborhoods.Chicago is recognized across the United States as a very passionate sports town.Chicago is a leader in reforming public schools, enhancing public safety and security initiatives, providing afable housing in attractive and economically sound communities, ensuring accessibility for all and fostering, social, economic and environmental sustainability. Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and the seat of Cook County.

It stretches for 22 mi along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan in the northeast part of the state.The first white men known to have visited the region were Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette in 1673. The first permanent white settler was John Kinzie, who is sometimes called the Father of Chicago. He took over a trading post in 1796 that had been established in 1791 by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a black fur trapper. Fort Dearborn, a blockhouse and stockade, was built in 1804 but was evacuated in 1812, at which time more than half of its garrison was massacred by Potawatomi and Ottawa Indians loyal to the British. The name Chicago is thought to come from an Algonquian word meaning onion or skunk. Laid out in 1830, Chicago was incorporated as a village in 1833 and as a city in 1837. In the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, an area of the city about 4 mi long and nearly a mile wide more than two thousand acres was totally destroyed. However, much of the city, including the railroads and stockyards, survived intact, and from the ashes of the old wooden structures there arose more modern constructions in steel and stone.

Today, Chicago is a major Great Lakes port and the commercial, financial, industrial, and cultural center of the Midwest. The manufacturing industries dominate the wholesale and retail trade, and trade in agricultural commodities is important to the economy. The Chicago Board of Trade is the largest agricultural futures market in the world.Among Chicago's many attractions are the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Jane Addams Hull House Museum, Navy Pier, and numerous architectural landmarks such as the Sears Tower and Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.

Information for the state of Illinois

The dollar gross state product for Illinois was estimated to be US$652 billion in 2010. Illinois' major agricultural outputs are corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, and wheat. In most years, Illinois is either the first or second state for the highest production of soybeans, with a harvest of 427.7 million bushels (11.64 million metric tons) in 2008, after Iowa's production of 444.82 million bushels (12.11 million metric tons). Illinois ranks second in U.S. corn production with more than 1.5 billion bushels produced annually. Illinois is a leader in food manufacturing and meat processing. Illinois is one of the nation's manufacturing leaders, boasting annual value added productivity by manufacturing of over $107 billion in 2006.

About three-quarters of the state's manufacturers are located in the Northeastern Opportunity Return Region, with 38 percent of Illinois' approximately 18,900 manufacturing plants located in Cook County. As of 2006, the leading manufacturing industries in Illinois, based upon value-added, were chemical manufacturing ($18.3 billion), machinery manufacturing ($13.4 billion), food manufacturing ($12.9 billion), fabricated metal products ($11.5 billion), transportation equipment ($7.4 billion), plastics and rubber products ($7.0 billion), and computer and electronic products ($6.1 billion).

If you did not have to wait for the cash flow to come in what would you do right now?

WHY SOME COMPANIES PROFITS EXPLODE

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

"How a Factoring Company Saved This Owner of a Trucking Company Business"

Transportation industry plays a vital role in the economic scene. As people's lives become more and more sophisticated as time goes by, making the most out of the limited resources is the concern of all. Say for example the proper use of land to get optimum profit and convenience or what is known as the zoning. It is defined as the process of planning for land use to allocate certain kinds of structures in certain areas. This method separates the manufacturing sites from the sources of its raw materials, the employees and employers to their respective offices. This made the transportation industry play a vital role in the economic scene. It is a primary necessity for businesses of any size and of any type. It does not just transport raw materials to the manufacturers but also bring finished products into our every door.

Investing in a business which plays a vital role in the current economic scene is a thing that every investor should not think twice about. But business does not work that easy. The big question is, how you are going to survive the most challenging phase of establishing a business - the start. Starting a business requires a capital. If you now have enough money for capital, you can now start your business and since you are investing in a very promising type of business, finding customers is not a problem. The problem is, what if you found bad ones. Even if your customers are also managing a business and expecting cashflow, which does not guarantee that they would pay you up to date because some businesses are just ill-managed. For the business to survive, the most important thing that you would be doing is funding your operational cost - make payrolls, fuel, maintenance - it should rely on cashflow, but since things like mentioned above is very common, some business owners would resort for a loan. But that does not solve the problem of getting your receivables paid on time. As a business owner, you cannot afford the time it takes to collect the receivables, while trying to make your business grow.

Mr. Paul, an owner of a small trucking company experienced the same kinds of problems and shared how he managed to survive. "I just released my head from the stress of how am I going to get my receivables, and focused on making the business grow"¦"

Mr. Paul just got his retirement fee from a big trucking company for almost forty years and was thinking on how to double his money in the shortest time possible. Seeing a small trucking company as a business of great potential and is a business that he knows. When he was still driving a truck, he was fascinated by how much money the company is making. He has also never experienced a delay in his salary. When he decided to invest his retirement fee in establishing a small trucking company, everything was just according to what he expected. He started with a single truck from his home. He started with just a few clients, the ones he knew already and never missed one deadline and kept freight damage as minimal as possible. Because of his outstanding services he started to get referrals and had more work than he can handle. From then, he started to expand, bought more trucks, hired more personnel. Using the knowledge he acquired from the company that he had served for a very long time, and dedication to his work, his little business grew in a rate that he had never imagined. The business is now requiring a more strategic plan and when Mr. Paul thought that everything was going very well, he encountered problems that he failed to foresee.

He had customers that made him wait for weeks or even months before paying. Since his little business is rapidly growing, his operational cost is also growing . This is a problem that he never knew and never observed in his entire career as a driver of a trucking company since he was never in an administration role. He was at the verge of breaking down, his business is losing money, growing too fast, not big enough has to rely cashflow to keep up to his fast growing business. He had to make his payroll, pay his suppliers, maintenance and fill his orders. Mr. Paul thought of going to bank and apply for a loan but was denied. "Maybe because I had a bad personal credit...haha"

Mr. Paul thought of declaring bankruptcy because of the stress that he never imagined he will be handling. He had to think of how to manage his business and at the same time, how will he keep the business alive by thinking of a solution on how is he going to deal with his receivables.

"You know that time, I, I, I just don't know what to do... I felt that as the business kept growing and growing, I become more and more incompetent. Then suddenly, a hero came along... Just at the nick of time. "

Then a close friend of his introduced him to a factoring company and everything turned out just fine. So what is this factoring company then? What does it do? How did it save Mr. Paul's business?

Well, this is how it works, Mr. Paul sells his invoices or receivables to a factoring company at a discount and not in an amount where he can no longer make a profit. The factoring company will then be the one collecting the invoices of Mr. Paul's business from his customers. Say for example, Paul still has 100 dollars to collect from one of his customers. He then sells it to the factoring company at a lesser price, say 90 dollars. The factoring company will now be the one who is going to get the 100 dollars collectible from Paul's customer.

The factoring company immediately gave Mr. Paul the cashflow he needed. He now has instant customer credit checks. He can rest well and likes doing business with companies that pay their bills on time. Save him from the stress of thinking how to deal with his collectibles, thus saving time and money. He can now focus on growing his business and keeping his customers happy. Increase his sales and cashflow.

The Factoring Company not just saved Mr. Paul's start-up business but made it a big company now. It has helped Mr. Paul's business, why don't you let it help yours?

If you did not have to wait for the cash flow to come in what would you do right now?

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Bookkeeping for Freight Brokers and the Most Common Mistakes Businesses Make

A freight broker is either a company or an individual who effects the transportation of goods by pairing up shippers with transportation services. The freight broker is not only responsible for pairing reliable and authorized transportation carriers with shippers, but also organizing the shipping needs for various organizations. Besides matching shippers with carriers, a freight broker is also responsible for ensuring each and every piece of cargo reaches its destination - and in good condition.

In addition to these tasks, freight brokers are also responsible for maintaining accurate bookkeeping records, and those who fail to keep meticulous accounting records are likely to lose money in the long run. In this post we've detailed what we believe are the most common accounting mistakes freight brokers make, and ways in which they can be avoided.No. 1: Attempting to DIY Your Bookkeeping Can Result in Costly Errors

Whether you handle the books yourself or delegate this vitally important job to an unqualified employee or even a family member, DIY bookkeeping is seldom, if ever, a good idea. Yes, initially you'll undoubtedly save some money, but your inexperienced bookkeeper's errors can ultimately become very costly to your business and result in expensive financing terms, increased bond premiums, and other unnecessary costs.

We strongly suggest you employ the services of an experienced bookkeeper who's qualified to deliver accurate accounting records, which will ultimately result in fewer errors and the job being completed quickly and efficiently.

No. 2: Postponing Important Bookkeeping Tasks Due to Heavy Workloads

It's not easy running a business, and anyone who finds themselves in this situation understands only too well just how difficult it can be to find the time to complete day-to-day time-consuming tasks. It's imperative that things like reconciling credit card and bank statements be completed each month because it's only through these reconciliations that errors can be found; plus of course it's how you determine out how much credit or cash you actually have.

As tempting as it may be to postpone these tedious tasks, you must ensure that your credit card and bank statements are reconciled every month, ideally as soon as you receive each statement. Keeping on top of statements means you can quickly identify any lost checks, missing deposits, or fraudulent charges, and be able to handle any discrepancies in a timely manner.

No. 3: Failing to Track Receivables and Invoices

Your business depends on you getting paid, and you won't be paid if you're not regularly and properly accounting for receivables. The lifeblood of your business is cash, which means the success of your business is entirely dependent upon you accounting for receivables. To put it another way, if the period of time between paying your carriers and receiving payment from customers is unnecessarily delayed by poor accounting practices, your business cash flow is going to be very strained.

If you're time-poor and realize you simply don't have time to track and collect invoices, then invoice factoring is the perfect solution for you. For just a small fee your applicable invoices will be purchased by the invoice factoring company, but the best part about invoice factoring is that you receive immediate payment! No longer will you have the time-consuming responsibility of trying to collect payments, thus saving an enormous amount of office time: plus, it leaves you free to take care of your own job, which is handling the day-to-day running of your business.

No. 4: Overlooking Liabilities Can Have Disastrous Results

When a surety inspects your business records to underwrite a bond, one of their first and most important considerations is whether your assets are sufficient to cover your liabilities. It's difficult for inexperienced bookkeepers to understand the full implications of accurate record keeping and sometimes DIY accountants record a liability but once the payment is made they forget to reverse the liability. This is a serious error because it understates net income while overstating liabilities, which makes your business appear less financially stable than it actually is.

The only way to avoid these unnecessary accounting errors is to hire an experienced bookkeeper. It's always handy to have another set of eyes, whether it be a CPA or an owner, to regularly review the balance sheet and check for discrepancies in account balances.

No. 5: Miscategorizing or Creating Unnecessary Expense Categories

All too often we see inexperienced bookkeepers either creating unnecessary expense categories or wrongly categorizing expenditures, either of which can be a huge red flag. Generally, each industry uses a standard set of categories for expenses and failing to follow this set of rules can signal to a surety or loan underwriter that an inexperienced person is handling your books; meaning that they may not be well prepared.

It's really important that your business's accounting software is correctly set up, preferably with the help of an accountant or experienced bookkeeper. Additional expense categories should not be added unless absolutely necessary. If you have any queries about how to classify expenses, don't hesitate to ask for guidance from your qualified accountant or CPA.

No. 6: Submitting Invoices with Insufficient Details

Don't try to save time by skimping on invoice details. Your customers' invoices should have detailed information on each line item; for example, do you invoice per mile, by weight, or by piece? Is the charge a flat fee? If there are additional charges such as fees or reimbursements for fuel, these should be listed as separate line items. The only way to avoid any confusion is to ensure that charges are properly detailed on invoices.

The last thing you want is for your customers to complain about charges they don't recognize on their invoices; and missing information can cause much confusion, resulting in delays in payment. All of these problems can be prevented by ensuring that your invoices have complete, detailed, and accurate information. Don't create unnecessary problems by trying to skimp on invoice details.

No. 7: Not Learning or Understanding the Full Functionality of Your Accounting Software

Getting a business up and running can be very expensive and time-consuming, and many freight brokers simply don't have time to learn how to use their accounting software package to its full capacity. This is not a problem if all your accounting and bookkeeping tasks are being outsourced; however, if you're using the software in any way at all, perhaps even just for entering checks and running reports, we strongly recommend that you learn how to use all functions of your accounting software package.

You can save so much time and have easy access to real-time information on the financial status of your business if you have the right accounting software and you know how to use it correctly. Having this information at your fingertips can help you make the right decisions to grow your business.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Why Do Companies Choose Factoring?

We know that factoring is the ideal way for a business to access instant cash on their company's receivables, but there are other important benefits as well. Factoring can be a very handy financial instrument for many businesses.

Listed below Are Six Key Benefits of Factoring

No. 1: Back Office Solutions

Anyone running a business knows just how time consuming and expensiveit can be collecting payments from customers. When you employ a factoring company they'll take over that role for you using their own collection specialists: it's their job to follow up with customers until such time as your account has been paid in full. In addition, some factoring companies use online accounts, which means that you'll have the ability to track your customers' payments in real time.

Handing this time consuming part of your business over to the factoring company frees up your time to do what you do best - running your business, looking for new business opportunities, and providing your customers with excellent customer service.

No. 2: Better Quality Customers

Some factoring companies have their own rating systems for companies involved in your industry, in addition to having access to credit data on companies that could well become your new customers, and days pay information. Others create their own rating systems for companies working in your industry, which allows you to make calculated, informed decisions about both existing and new customers.

No. 3: Instant Access to Cash

When a company provides goods or services on credit it usually has to wait somewhere between 30 and 90 days for customers to pay on their invoice, and this very often leads to cash flow problems for the business. And that's the beauty of factoring! When you use a factoring company you'll typically receive an advance on an invoice within 24 hours. This immediate injection of cash allows businesses to purchase additional equipment, employ new staff, and cover other business expenses.

No. 4: Growing Your Business

Because factoring provides instant access to cash, it offers you the flexibility to grow your business at a faster pace. In addition, factoring is very simple to set up. A factoring account can be created within a matter of days, whereas a traditional bank loan can take weeks. And, there's no limit to the amount of funding a factoring company can provide, unlike bank loans. Of course, this is assuming the factoring company you choose to work with has a strong capital structure. Over a period of time, the volume of factoring can increase within months - from thousands to millions of dollars.

No. 5: Funding for Start Ups

Start Ups quite often require financing to get their business up and running; but because they have no cash flow statements or balance sheets, and no business history, they're highly unlikely to qualify for cash flow or asset based lending.

Factoring is not concerned about these requirements because it's main interest is in the credit history of your customers. Before a factoring company offers you financial assistance it will examine your customers' credit scores, their payment patterns, and general financial health. Typically, the factoring company will not be interested in how long your company has been operating.

No. 6: Factoring Is Not a Debt

Factoring does not become a debt to your business because it's not a loan. Your business receives financial support from the factoring company as and when you accumulate invoices, and the matter is settled once your customers have paid in full. It's true that if you're utilizing recourse factoring, you, as the factoring client, assume the risk if your customers default on payment; however, factoring companies usually allow businesses to work off that amount by retaining a portion of reserve payments or future cash payments.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Factoring Companies - Benefits

Factoring companies offer a wide variety of benefits to businesses. Factoring companies conduct financial business by allowing a business to sell its invoices to a factor (also known as a third party business or individual.) The price that the business charges is discounted in order to sell the invoices that are currently held, and make the cash that is immediately needed for any type of expenditures involving the business. A business that has immediate cash needs, but has no cash to pay for the expenditures that has occurred often ends up going under and eventually shutting down completely. This takes a lot of jobs away from people, and can leave you working for someone else, no longer running for your business. No one wants to take this large step down from the current place that they are in. A business owner has worked incredibly hard to get to where he or she currently is, and does not deserve to have their business become obsolete. This is where the factoring companies can be a huge help to businesses.

Invoice FactoringKeep in mind that factoring companies do not use the same process as invoice discounting. Instead, invoice factoring (also called the "Assignment of Accounts Receivable" by the FASB and GAAP) is the sale of invoices, instead of invoice discounting which involves collateral in order to ensure that the individual who took out the invoice discounting loan will pay it back. Factoring is not a loan; instead, factoring is the sale of invoices in order to get immediate cash. There is no loan in the process of factoring, and you will never have to pay the money back.

Since the invoices that are sold are also called receivables, the entire process of factoring is usually called the sale of receivables. Receivable factoring is much better than trying to take a loan out from the bank. Banks charge interest on any type of loan, and although there is usually collateral, it can put you in even more debt than you currently are. In addition, factoring companies are never going to give you a loan. When a factoring company funds your discounted receivable, he or she will choose to buy the receivable, giving you cash immediately. This cash can pull your entire business out of the hole that it is currently in. Instead of taking a loan out and getting yourself further into debt, factoring allows you to simply sell your own invoices and get back most of the money that you originally put into them. Although this may seem like a bad process since you are selling valuable invoices, it is important to do, as the invoices are completely useless if your entire business goes under. Instead of trying to take a loan out to keep all of your receivables (invoices) factoring companies benefit you directly by giving you the cash you need.

Benefits of Factoring Companies / Invoice Factoring / Receivable FactoringWhen you are in a bind and really need money in order to get through the next few months, it can be very troublesome. Although the first thought in most peoples' minds would be to visit the nearest bank as soon as possible and take out some kind of loan, this is very dangerous. Although the loan may hold your business over for the next few months, it is simply delaying the same money crunch you already had. Unless your business is making an incredible amount of money, the bank loan that you took out has increased in the price that you must pay bank. Interest on a bank loan is how the banks make money and survive. Many loans have a very high interest rate, and if you are unable to pay the loan back in a short amount of time, you are going to be in more of a money crunch than you originally were in. In order to pay back the loan, you would have to make a large amount of money in a very short time, which is unlikely if you needed to take out the loan in the first place.

Rather than bothering with bank loans that will inevitably put you back in the money hole that you were in when you took it out, factoring companies are available to help you. A factoring company is a place where businesses can place their invoices for sale at a discounted price, which will allow them to receive immediate cash. As aforementioned, this money does not need to be paid back, as it is not a loan. Keep in mind, you are not selling your business. You are selling invoices in order to keep your business growing. You will be able to get more invoices in the future when your business is back up and running, but if you do not sell these invoices, you will never be back up and running.

When you are in a money crunch, don't put yourself back in the money hole that you are in by taking out a bank loan. Utilize factoring companies in order to get immediate cash that will help you get back up and running without putting a loan on your business.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

"How a Factoring Company Saved This Owner of a Trucking Company Business"

Transportation industry plays a vital role in the economic scene. As people's lives become more and more sophisticated as time goes by, making the most out of the limited resources is the concern of all. Say for example the proper use of land to get optimum profit and convenience or what is known as the zoning. It is defined as the process of planning for land use to allocate certain kinds of structures in certain areas. This method separates the manufacturing sites from the sources of its raw materials, the employees and employers to their respective offices. This made the transportation industry play a vital role in the economic scene. It is a primary necessity for businesses of any size and of any type. It does not just transport raw materials to the manufacturers but also bring finished products into our every door.

Investing in a business which plays a vital role in the current economic scene is a thing that every investor should not think twice about. But business does not work that easy. The big question is, how you are going to survive the most challenging phase of establishing a business - the start. Starting a business requires a capital. If you now have enough money for capital, you can now start your business and since you are investing in a very promising type of business, finding customers is not a problem. The problem is, what if you found bad ones. Even if your customers are also managing a business and expecting cashflow, which does not guarantee that they would pay you up to date because some businesses are just ill-managed. For the business to survive, the most important thing that you would be doing is funding your operational cost - make payrolls, fuel, maintenance - it should rely on cashflow, but since things like mentioned above is very common, some business owners would resort for a loan. But that does not solve the problem of getting your receivables paid on time. As a business owner, you cannot afford the time it takes to collect the receivables, while trying to make your business grow.

Mr. Paul, an owner of a small trucking company experienced the same kinds of problems and shared how he managed to survive. "I just released my head from the stress of how am I going to get my receivables, and focused on making the business grow"¦"

Mr. Paul just got his retirement fee from a big trucking company for almost forty years and was thinking on how to double his money in the shortest time possible. Seeing a small trucking company as a business of great potential and is a business that he knows. When he was still driving a truck, he was fascinated by how much money the company is making. He has also never experienced a delay in his salary. When he decided to invest his retirement fee in establishing a small trucking company, everything was just according to what he expected. He started with a single truck from his home. He started with just a few clients, the ones he knew already and never missed one deadline and kept freight damage as minimal as possible. Because of his outstanding services he started to get referrals and had more work than he can handle. From then, he started to expand, bought more trucks, hired more personnel. Using the knowledge he acquired from the company that he had served for a very long time, and dedication to his work, his little business grew in a rate that he had never imagined. The business is now requiring a more strategic plan and when Mr. Paul thought that everything was going very well, he encountered problems that he failed to foresee.

He had customers that made him wait for weeks or even months before paying. Since his little business is rapidly growing, his operational cost is also growing . This is a problem that he never knew and never observed in his entire career as a driver of a trucking company since he was never in an administration role. He was at the verge of breaking down, his business is losing money, growing too fast, not big enough has to rely cashflow to keep up to his fast growing business. He had to make his payroll, pay his suppliers, maintenance and fill his orders. Mr. Paul thought of going to bank and apply for a loan but was denied. "Maybe because I had a bad personal credit...haha"

Mr. Paul thought of declaring bankruptcy because of the stress that he never imagined he will be handling. He had to think of how to manage his business and at the same time, how will he keep the business alive by thinking of a solution on how is he going to deal with his receivables.

"You know that time, I, I, I just don't know what to do... I felt that as the business kept growing and growing, I become more and more incompetent. Then suddenly, a hero came along... Just at the nick of time. "

Then a close friend of his introduced him to a factoring company and everything turned out just fine. So what is this factoring company then? What does it do? How did it save Mr. Paul's business?

Well, this is how it works, Mr. Paul sells his invoices or receivables to a factoring company at a discount and not in an amount where he can no longer make a profit. The factoring company will then be the one collecting the invoices of Mr. Paul's business from his customers. Say for example, Paul still has 100 dollars to collect from one of his customers. He then sells it to the factoring company at a lesser price, say 90 dollars. The factoring company will now be the one who is going to get the 100 dollars collectible from Paul's customer.

The factoring company immediately gave Mr. Paul the cashflow he needed. He now has instant customer credit checks. He can rest well and likes doing business with companies that pay their bills on time. Save him from the stress of thinking how to deal with his collectibles, thus saving time and money. He can now focus on growing his business and keeping his customers happy. Increase his sales and cashflow.

The Factoring Company not just saved Mr. Paul's start-up business but made it a big company now. It has helped Mr. Paul's business, why don't you let it help yours?

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Healthcare professionals are finding that business loans and commercial lines-of-credit are becoming more difficult to qualify for, so today we're seeing more healthcare professionals looking to medical factoring to alleviate cash flow problems. All types of medical and healthcare practices can benefit greatly by choosing to factor their receivables and thus receive immediate cash payments.

In the past, healthcare has typically been a resilient industry, but today we see this industry facing financial challenges that leave practices struggling to meet their own financial commitments. Cash flow was virtually a non-issue for medical facilities, professionals, and their suppliers, but today with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance companies working with strict reimbursement guidelines, professionals are forced to wait much longer than they previously waited to receive payment on their invoices. In addition, complicated documentation and billing requirements are resulting in fewer dollars and longer waiting periods.

Financial Difficulties Experienced by Healthcare Professionals

The above issues are creating serious problems for a large number of medical providers who not only must wait longer to get paid less money, but who are also forced to deal with growing operating expenses, including salaries and other benefits. Operating under these unsure conditions means that the viability of these businesses is being threatened and it's become almost impossible for them to pursue new growth opportunities. Today, a medical practitioner operating a relatively small practice could have receivables of up to $1 million tied up!

Any business that's confronted with cash flow problems will typically look to banks or other lenders for a loan. Offering the business a loan or line-of-credit can certainly be very helpful in the short term, but unfortunately neither of these products are an ideal financing solution because neither will permanently solve the real problem.

A business loan may be ideal for fixed capital purchases, but it's no solution at all for handling recurring business expenses. A line-of-credit can certainly be very helpful, but because it will have a credit limit and a fixed term it won't provide a renewable source of business capital. Once the credit limit has been reached or the term of the line-of-credit expires, the lender may either increase the credit limit or perhaps not renew it at all. It's a sad fact that, today, many healthcare professionals are finding themselves in this unfortunate situation.

Finding the Ideal Medical Financing Solution

The perfect financing solution would be one that's flexible and one that would provide a steady and reliable source of working capital. It would grow with the healthcare business, without the need to re-apply or having to approach a bank for an increase in the credit limit. In short, this perfect financing solution would provide working capital to finance both the current and future growth of the business. So, is there such a solution? Fortunately, yes there is! It's called medical factoring.

Explaining Medical Factoring

Medical factoring is a receivables factoring program designed exclusively for medical invoices. Because factoring medical receivables can be quite challenging, many factoring companies today are specializing only in the healthcare industry. It does require a certain amount of expertise to manage the medical claims process; plus, it becomes even more challenging when many healthcare receivables are either reduced or denied altogether by insurance providers.

What Types of Business Can Use Medical Factoring?

Many business owners are surprised to learn that factoring in general has been around for a long time. Medical service providers, in particular, seem to be completely unaware of the existence of factoring. The truth is that invoice factoring has become one of the most flexible and powerful business financing tools available today.

Many healthcare providers can benefit greatly from choosing medical factoring. Below we've listed just some of the healthcare service providers who can achieve huge benefits from a medical factoring program.

- Hospitals

- Medical Centers

- Physicians: Both Specialists and General Practitioners

- Outpatient Clinics and Facilities

- Medical Staffing Services

- Medical Labs

- Dialysis Facilities

- Home Healthcare Providers

- Physical Therapy Clinics and Groups

- Rehabilitation Centers

- Medical Equipment Providers

- Medical Labs, and

- Many More

What Are the Benefits of Factoring Medical Receivables

The benefits to healthcare professionals are very similar to the benefits enjoyed by many businesses in many other industries. They include -

- Faster (almost immediate) payment;

- Increased percentage of billings collected;

- Consistent cash flow;

- Access to debt-free working capital;

- Stress-free outsourced accounting and collection; and

- Being able to improve your business credit.

Medical Practices Can Depend on Factoring for Reliable Cash Flow

Medical factoring is an excellent financing alternative for medical practices because practices receive consistent and flexible financing which is directly tied to their insurance claims. This means that the financing will increase as more claims are filed. It's highly desirable for all medical practices to achieve a scalable and reliable cash flow, thus ensuring sufficient liquid business capital to cover operating expenses.

And with medical supply companies the situation is very similar. Depending on the volume of sales these companies can achieve fast and predictable business financing by signing up for a medical factoring program. And, as sales continue to grow so does the amount of financing, providing the much-needed working capital required to both grow and maintain business operations.

Medical Receivables Factoring for Smaller Medical Offices

Medical factoring is especially beneficial for smaller medical offices. Office overheads and staffing expenses can be dramatically reduced because the factoring company will take control of the more tedious and time-consuming administrative work involved in collections and processing claims. This frees up remaining staff members to concentrate on delivering excellent medical care. If you're a small medical practice and you have good growth prospects but a slow cash flow, receivables factoring could well be the ideal tool to assist in financing the growth of your business. You'll find that many factoring companies have minimums, and there are factoring companies prepared to finance a medical office billing just $50,000 per month.

Explaining How Medical Factoring Works

In simple terms, if a healthcare business is dependent on third-party payors, those payments will be accelerated with medical factoring. Within just days of the initial billing, the majority of the amount billed will be deposited directly to the business's bank account. The instant rewards are a dramatic shortening of the collection cycle and the elimination of cash flow problems for the business concerned.

Importantly, receivables factoring is not a loan, so there are no credit or financial requirements; there will be no impact to your balance sheet and there are no arbitrary limits. Medical factoring is the ideal financing tool for business growth because you can factor as much billing as your business is capable of generating.

How Long before My Business Is Accepted for Factoring?

With medical factoring there are no lengthy delays, certainly not like when applying for bank finance! A medical factoring program will usually take around two weeks to set up. This timeframe allows the factor to determine the stability of the medical practice and to ensure the reliability of its third-party payors. Then, once a medical factoring program is in operation, the financing will be predictable and constant. Once claims have been submitted to the medical factoring company, claims are typically funded within 48 hours.

The process of medical factoring is very simple, as follows -

- Your medical practice periodically submits billings to Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance companies. At the same time, copies of these billings should be forwarded to your factor.

- Within 48 hours of receiving a copy of these billings, the factor will deposit an advance of up to 85% of net collectables into your bank account. The balance will be held by the factor until such time as the account has been paid in full.

- Once the factoring company has received payment in full, the balance of the billings - less the agreed-upon factoring fee - will be remitted to you.

Medical Factoring Fees

Medical factoring fees vary depending upon the size and types of claims generated by the medical practice. It's not known why medical factoring today is not as widely known as it is in other industries; however, interest in this type of financing is now becoming more popular and widespread as business owners are beginning to understand the many financial and other benefits of medical factoring.

Medical factoring in the healthcare industry is fast becoming a widely accepted tool to resolve shortfalls in working capital financing and as a long-term solution for patient accounting support and medical financing. It's certainly a tool that healthcare businesses should give careful consideration to because cash flow problems can stall growth and prosperity in businesses of all sizes and types.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Benefits Of A Factoring Company Over A Traditional Bank Loan

Anyone who owns a business knows that there are times when the money goes out of your business much faster than it is coming in. This can put a company in a financial bind, making it difficult to purchase raw materials, pay their employees, or even keep the utilities on. The simple truth is that every company needs to have ready cash in order to keep their business running on an even keel and in order for it to grow. There are a number of different ways that a company can get the money they need to keep their business running and moving forward, but not all of these ways offer businesses the same freedom and benefits. This article will talk about two popular, but different types of financing available to business. The Traditional bank loan, and getting your financing through a factoring company.

Bank Loans

Bank loans are an extremely traditional way for a business to get financing. While these loans are handy they are not available to every business. For example, a fairly newly established business simply may not have the assets to readily get a loan from a bank, even if they do, the standard collateral for a business loan is the business itself, which means that if you cannot make your loan payment, you risk losing your entire business. In addition, while you apply for a certain loan amount, that is all the financing you are entitled to. Once the loan is paid off, you can then apply for another loan if the need arises.

Factoring Companies

Factoring companies do not give loans, and the money you get from the factoring company does not put you in debt. Rather the financing you receive from a factoring company is based on money your business has all ready earned, but have not yet received. Factoring companies actually purchase your account's receivable or at least part of them for a percentage of their total worth, Normally around 80%-95%. The amount of money you can receive is based on the amount of money you have earned and the accounts receivable you are willing to "sell." Once you have set up factoring account it continues as long as you wish it too and the amount of money available to you even can grow as your business grows, giving you the ready cash you need to meet your own obligations.

Benefits of a Factoring Company Vs. A Bank Loan

While not every business can take advantage of factoring account financing (you have to have a business that has account receivables) for those that can use this type of financing there are several distinct benefits.

1. You Won't Incur Debt. Since the factoring company actually buys your accounts receivable you don't actually incur debt like you do with a bank loan. This has many benefits including the fact, that this type of financing won't affect either your business credit rating or your personal credit rating. Should the unforeseeable happen and your business fails, you won't have to worry about anyone coming after your personal as well as your business assets to pay off a loan. With a bank loan, the debt goes onto your credit report, and even one late payment can adversely affect your businesses credit, and even the ability to get insurance and may even reflect upon your personal credit rating.

2. No Collateral Required. Another benefit of using a factoring company instead of a traditional loan is that you aren't required to provide collateral to the factoring company in order to secure financing, because the company "buys" the accounts receivables; not loans you money based on them. In addition, while the factoring company does run a credit check on your customers whose accounts receivables are offered for financing, the state of your credit is not an issue. This makes it easier for fledgling businesses to get the financing they need through a factoring company (as long as their accounts receivables are in good order) then from a bank, who may not feel that you have been in business long enough to be worth the risk of issuing you a loan.

3. Receive Your Money Faster. With a Factoring company you can actually get the money you need faster. Once the Factoring company assures itself that the customers in your accounts receivable are likely to pay their debt, the money is usually in the account within 24 hours. With a bank, there are vasts amounts of paperwork, then the loan has to be underwritten, which can take months before you actually see the loan if it is approved.

4. Interest is Paid Up Front. Unlike a bank loan that continues to build interest that you have to pay the entire time you have your business loan with a factoring company, you don't have to continue to pay interest as they take it right off the top, deducting it from the total amount of accounts receivable. So not only are you relieved of those monthly loan payments, but you also don't have to worry about the building up of interest, as every penny in the account is yours to spend on the business.

As you can see, there are several benefits that makes considering financing through a factoring company over a traditional bank worthwhile. However, there are also a couple of other benefits that a factory company can offer your business is far beyond the scope of the bank. The most important benefits is that once you sell your accounts receivable to the factory company, you don't have to take time away from running your business to collect the money owed from reluctant to pay customers. The factoring company takes over that chore, since it is now their money to collect. Factoring companies are very good at collecting these debts, saving you the time and effort that you need to devote to your growing company.

In addition, since the factoring company evaluates the credit quality of your customers prior to purchasing the accounts receivable you gain valuable information into which customers are likely to pay and which ones are not so likely to pay.

While a Factoring company is not the only way for your business to obtain the money it needs to keep growing, it does offer a type of financing well worth considering.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Healthcare Staffing Factoring

The healthcare field is arguably one of the most rapidly growing industries in the United States. With the baby boomers, the largest section of our population, reaching retirement age the need for expanding healthcare services has never been more pronounced.

At the center of this growth are healthcare staffing agencies that hire for hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices and a wide range of medical facilities. However, while business is booming the ability for these staffing agencies to expand is inhibited by the customer invoice system. Fortunately, there are healthcare staffing factoring companies around to help them in their time of need.

We asked the owner of a local healthcare staffing agency, Joy Reed, to talk to us about how factoring companies helped expand her business and provide a much needed boost at a critical time for her company.

"Hello Joy and welcome. I was hoping you would tell us a little about how healthcare staffing factoring companies helped your business, but I suppose we should begin by how you got started in this business?"

Joy Reed (JR), "Thanks for having me. I actually have been a part of several start-up businesses in my recent career and was looking for a field that would show a lot of promise. It was pretty clear to me that medical staffing was a big need in the healthcare field so I set about to start my own business. I had experience in starting up businesses before, so I drew up a business plan, took out a loan, rented the offices and hired a staff to get started."

"So, you did what most people do in starting up a business. How did it do?"JR: "I actually got off to a pretty good start. I had made a few contacts and managed to get some business right away. This was really helpful because as you might know our clients use invoices for payments and it can take up to 90 days before we actually get the cash in hand. Around four months in we were facing a real crossroads as new opportunities opened up for our business, but we didn't have the cash on hand to take advantage."

"I'm a little confused. You say you were doing well, but you didn't have the ability to expand your business?"

JR: "That's right. The problem was back to the invoices that were making up wait up to 3 months before we had the cash. I really wanted to expand my staffing business to handle the new opportunities I was being presented, but I couldn't because I was still waiting on the invoices to finally turn to cash. So I was asking my accountant about what could be done when the suggestion of a healthcare staffing factoring company was introduced."

"Tell us a bit more about factoring companies."

JR: "Basically, factoring companies purchase the invoices right on the spot so you can have cash on hand immediately instead of waiting up to three months. For healthcare staffing factoring companies, they will then collect the money from the business when the invoice is read to be fully paid. It really worked out for me because I was able to get cash quickly to add new personnel and even expand my offices to include another section of the building I was renting in."

"I understand that factoring companies are there for many different kinds of businesses, including medical staffing. Was it difficult to get set up with a factoring company?"

JR: Actually, it was pretty easy once we found a company that met our needs. I just filled out a short form and they looked over a few of the invoices I had to see what companies that I worked with. It really didn't take long at all before they agreed to cash some of the invoices and I got the money I needed to expand."

"Could you tell me a little more about the advantages of using a factoring company like this?"

JR: "Sure, I was not only able to hire a couple of new people and rent additional space, I've been able to cash my invoices when unexpected bills come up or if I need to make a purchase quickly for a new piece of equipment. This has come in really handy recently when I decided to move to a new location and needed some cash on hand to make the transition. The factoring services are really quite good with reasonable rates and fast service."

"What's the differences in using factoring companies over getting a new loan?"

JR: "It is frankly much better than getting a loan because with factoring there is nothing to pay back. We are basically getting our own money from the invoices we've earned up front and paying only a small fee. With a loan, I would not only have to pay it back but with interest as well. Factoring for us has really been a godsend when it comes to making decisions about how to expand my business. I'm no longer tied down to waiting 2 to 3 months to get paid when I can take what my business has earned and get cash immediately."

"I take it that you are happy with how healthcare staffing factoring has worked out for you?"

JR: "You would be correct. I cannot imagine how my business would have expanded at that critical time without factoring companies to buy my invoices. This is a great service that has helped me in my time of need and now my medical staffing business is bigger than ever. I'd recommend factoring companies to anyone running a business that relies on invoices if they need to get cash quickly."

There is little doubt that Joy Reed has been quite happy about the services she received working with a factoring company. Perhaps factoring is right for you and your needs, be sure to search for the type of factoring business that works in your field so that you can get the right services in helping your company to succeed.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

The Basics of Invoice Factoring: Choosing a Factoring Company

Probably the biggest frustration for business to business (B2B) companies is waiting to get paid.Anyone involved in a seasonal business, long payment cycle, or lumpy cash flow will be able to relate to this statement. Some customers are very slow payers (of course corporate clients and governments come to mind!) and other customers demand generous terms.

Explaining Invoice Factoring

Basically, with invoice factoring your current but unpaid invoices are turned into cash - it's a financing solution for businesses. Other terms used for factoring are 'Accounts Receivable Financing', 'Invoice Financing 'and 'Receivables Financing'. Because many clients demand generous terms, it means that invoices can remain unpaid for anywhere between 30 and 90 days; while in the meantime you're left without cash and falling behind on important expenses, such as payroll, and missing opportunities to grow your business. And this is where factoring comes in: factoring reduces, and sometimes eliminates the frustration of unpaid accounts.

A receivable financing transaction usually involves three parties, and these are the company that initially issues the invoice, the customer who is required to pay the invoice (otherwise known as the account debtor), and the 'factor', which is the financing company prepared to supply the cash.

Explaining Invoice Financing

An invoice is issued to a customer after a company has delivered a service or product. This invoice will now be sold to the factor and, in return, the company will receive a cash advance: this will usually be between 70% and 90% of the invoice's value. With this cash the company finds it easier to pay employees; plus, it can now purchase supplies, materials, and inventory, and it can take on more work. Once the debtor pays their invoice the business will receive a rebate for the rest of the funds, less a fee which will be based on the value of the invoice and the term. This type of financial agreement benefits all three parties: the customer receives cash almost immediately, the debtor gets favorable payment terms, and the factoring company collects a fee.

Explaining the Difference between Traditional Bank Financing and Invoice Financing

There are, of course, both drawbacks and benefits to this type of financing for businesses. The obvious benefits of factoring are a simpler application process, quicker funding, and higher approval rates when compared to bank lending. Having access to cash allows a business to grow, to meet payroll, achieve supplier discounts for bulk purchases or early payment, and to purchase equipment in order to improve productivity.

Factoring has a very simple application process which eliminates some of the main hurdles placed on small businesses by banks. The speed of funding with factoring offers businesses the opportunity to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. In addition, the high approval rates with factoring means that many more businesses qualify, even though they may have previously been declined by a bank. Another bonus is that funds received from factoring invoices can be used to supplement bank credit, if necessary.

On the other hand, when it comes to cost, a line of credit at a bank is less expensive than factoring; this is assuming that the business will be successful in their application to the bank and that they'll have access to the finance within a reasonable timeframe. Unfortunately, these applications are not always successful (four out of five companies are refused bank loans), while others find the whole process too discouraging.

Another possible issue with working with traditional factoring companies is that some of these companies will advise your customers that their invoices have been financed: this information can cause issues for some small businesses because they prefer to maintain control over all correspondence with their clients. Other factoring companies actually take control of your account receivables. Our advice is that you look for a factoring company that's prepared to work on a non notification basis.

Receivables Financing Has Become Good Business Sense

Today we see factoring becoming quite commonplace in many industries, such as IT companies, professional services, wholesale trade, marketing, manufacturing companies and so on. Many, many industries are discovering the benefits of receivables financing.

Invoice factoring is an ideal solution for business to business companies who issue invoices payable within 15 to 90 days. Any B2B company who's experiencing rapid growth, long payment cycles, or lumpy cash flow, will benefit the most from accounts receivable factoring. On the other hand, businesses and business to consumer (B2C) companies that are paid on delivery and don't issue invoices would have no need of factoring services.

If you're interested in invoice financing and believe it may be an option for your business, see below for our tips on how to approach working with a factoring company.

How to Work with an Invoice Factoring Company

There are many advantages to invoice financing, but it can be tricky working with some traditional factoring companies. Some factoring companies don't have excellent customer service, and between confusing terms, long term contracts, monthly minimums, and hidden penalties, the experience can be quite daunting. Our aim is to ensure that you get a fair deal when working with a factoring company, and please remember that, as always, if a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!

You're Looking for Transparent Factoring Fees and Rates

Companies that make it difficult to work out their all inclusive fees are companies who are working for their own advantage, so when determining pricing, transparency is key. If you're getting frustrated and not receiving direct answers, we suggest you move on to another factoring company that will be respectful of your time.

Another Word of Caution: Beware of receivables factoring companies who advertise low rates, which then increase when all their hidden fees come to light. We've heard of factoring companies who charge low monthly factoring rates, but you'll be charged for two months' even if the invoice was paid in one month and one day. We also know that some factors require monthly minimums, which means that you pay for financing even if it's not required. We strongly suggest that you read our article on factoring rates and tricks so that you approach factoring with knowledge and awareness.

Understanding Penalties, and How to Avoid Them

Be aware that some invoice factoring companies out there have hidden penalties. In order to avoid these penalties, you need to know why they occur. If you believe these penalties are out of proportion or unfair, then move on to another factor. It won't be long before you'll understand what fair and reasonable terms look like.

Read the Fine Print in Your Contract

In order to guarantee their profits, most factoring companies will try to lock you into a long term contract. Obviously this is good business for the factoring company, but it may not be so good for your business. You need to know what you're signing up for, so be aware of long term contracts where you'll be charged exorbitant cancellation fees if you should decide to leave.

Also, be aware that some long term contracts include minimums, so consider this carefully: you may find yourself paying for something you're not using when you only needed the factoring company to meet occasional cash flow needs. You shouldn't be forced to remain with a service that's not meeting your needs, so it's vitally important that you carefully read the fine print.

Customer Confidentiality

Once you start your research on factoring you'll discover that most factoring companies operate on a notification basis, which means that when you sell your invoices to the factor, they notify your customers. They'll also ask that the funds be routed directly to the factoring company's bank account, instead of your account. This can be an issue for business owners who prefer to have control of all communications with their customers. If discretion is important to you and your business,

we strongly suggest that your accounts receivable financing company provides non notification factoring, meaning that you retain control over customer communications. If this is not an option for your factoring company, then you need to move to a companythat will provide non notification factoring.

How Much Cash Will You Receive Upfront?

You'll receive an advance upfront, which is a percentage of the face value of the invoice. This advance will probably be somewhere between 70% and 90% of the invoice's face value. For example, let's say your customer owes you $1000: your advance payment should be somewhere between $700 and $900.

Factoring Minimums Compared with Single Invoice Discounting

You'll also notice in your research that many factors require small businesses to submit all invoices from certain customers. On the other hand, 'single invoice discounting', also known as 'spot factoring', means that the business concerned determines which invoices will be sent to the factoring company for advance payment. Make sure you understand your factoring company's terms before you sign anything. Single invoice discounting or spot factoring is generally the preferred method for small businesses because it enables you to retain control over your financing by determining which invoices will be sent for factoring.

Choosing Your Factoring Company

Think about all the above criteria, and look for a business partner who will provide your business with the best combination of flexibility, features, and terms that you require. By doing a little research you'll soon find a partner and an agreement that offers you the flexibility, funds, terms, and transparency that work best for you. Your aim is to find a partner that you'll be happy to work with long term, so don't settle for anything less.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

How Factoring Saved A Staffing Agency

The Bellosa Temporary & Permanent Hiring Agency has been experiencing a major uptick in business since the unemployment crisis began. The unemployed and underemployed workers have been keeping the phones ringing. The staffing agency is also fielding a lot of calls from employers too, looking for just the right hire. Company President and Vice President, Laurie Bell and Ted Stevens, have not experienced a boom in business since they first opened the doors in 2009, during the recession. They had an idea then that this would be a profitable venture.

The mantra that Laurie and Ted live by is that there "s always going to be people searching for work and of course employers will always be on the lookout for good workers. This is especially true in healthcare staffing, the industry they specialize in. This seemed to be a safe bet for them as they embarked on this venture, but with any small business, the only way to keep the doors open is to keep pressing forward and out perform the competition.

In a relatively short period of time Laurie and Ted had built a nice sized business, they were able to hit the ground running with some brilliant marketing programs and a number of contracts from insiders. They grew rapidly, the timing couldn "t have been better and they were very lucky in this aspect. By the fall of 2011 Laurie and Ted had weathered some ups and downs but they did have some solid clients like a few big insurance companies and a university hospital close by. These clients always paid their invoices on time. But they did start to notice a decrease in accounts receivables from some smaller clients such as rehab centers and private practices.

As winter approached they recalled previous winters and holiday seasons and realized that accounts receivables usually did slow down during this time. Laurie and Ted made the decision to delay their late payments until after the New Year. This plan didn "t really appeal to them as it "s no way to start a New Year, but they seemed to have no other options.

When New Year "s had come and gone they realized that their Accounts Receivables had gone from 30 days past due to 60 days past due. Before meeting with their accountant Scott, they "d decided something had to be done, but they didn "t know what.

Sitting in the conference room with Scott they listened as pulled all the figures up on his iPad saying,Okay you two, I "ve been looking over the files you sent over and I can certainly see why you "re worried about your late A/Rs but there may be a way to fix this. Do either of you know what factoring is? Scott inquired.

Laurie and Ted looked at each other quizzically, and then Laurie said I think it rings a bell, but I "m not really sure. Can you explain it?

Scott began laying out the details, You are sitting on a pile of invoices that are past due. The more time that goes by without them being paid, the bigger the bind this puts your business in. It makes it very difficult for you to grow, much less hire anyone new. If you don "t have enough cash coming in . 

Ted interrupted with, Then it could make it difficult to take on any new business because we wouldn "t be able to hire the additional personnel we need and meet our weekly payroll. We need an inflow of cash and we really can "t wait. If we have to wait any longer on these invoices we "ll be in trouble.

Scott jumped in saying, And this is precisely why I wanted to discuss factoring with you. The factoring company will purchase the invoices you are sitting on that are up to 3 months late, which gives you the cash you need now. He then showed him a chart on a piece of paper he placed in front of them.

Laurie began to carefully scrutinize it asking, Is this the fee schedule?

Scott answered, Yes it "s all right there. The factoring company makes 1% to 3% of the total amount of each invoice they purchase.

That "s sounds like a good deal to me, Ted said.

The three of them sat there and talked this over for a while and then Laurie and Ted made the decision to go forward realizing this was the best way to keep them afloat. They knew if they couldn "t accommodate all the new clients they were acquiring the competition would get them and they would go down, they could just not afford to turn any business away.

They now needed to fill out an application and submit it to the factoring company and they also needed to show them a few back invoices, undergo a credit check for their company. Credit checks would also need to be done on the companies owing the debts that the factoring company would be purchasing.

It didn "t take long for Bellosa "s credit to be approved and the creditors " as well. Before long the factoring company purchased the overdue invoices and Laurie and Ted got the influx of cash they needed to cover things and allow them to continue growing their business.

The next time Laurie and Ted met with their accountant Scott, there were smiles all around.Scott said, I "ve taken a look at your books so I know that factoring was the right solution for you.

It worked perfectly, Laurie stated and went on to say, The tiny amount we paid out for this influx of cash was certainly worth it.

Ted chimed in with, Without a doubt! Whatever the fees were we made back and more since we were now able to hire more personnel so we could take on more business. It worked out for us and for them I would say!

That "s what "s great about factoring! Scott exclaimed with a look of satisfaction on his face.

Chicago Factoring Companies Articles

Discovering Trucking Factoring

Lambert Truck and Haul has been in business since the mid1980s. They've delivered goods for nearly every major industry in the nation and for 20 plus years, business was booming as they've traversed the country in all weather for all clients. During the heady times from 2002 to 2007, Lambert was a top rated accounts receivable mastermind of the trucking industry. Few customers were ever late on bills and those clients who were, were sure to turn in their late payments within a reasonable amount of time. Cash was flowing and times were good for all.

But a short year later, in the fall of 2008, when the United States economy took a nosedive and businesses both small and large began to feel the pinch on their pocketbooks, those that used to make their demands had suddenly and largely gone silent. Business slowed down. And worse yet, Lambert had noticed during the early part of 2008 that though the bulk of their clients were always on time with payments, the few late-bloomers there were, had seemingly started to spread this illness. And as spring turned to summer and summer into the early days of fall, John Rondstadt, CEO of Lambert felt a chill go down his spine whenever he would look at the weekly A/R reports. The numbers of clients who owed him back debt were growing.

He had gone to his administrators and asked them what the problem had been. Were they doing something wrong or different when it came to reaching out to delinquent accouts? By his bookkeepers records, this wasn't the case. He thought perhaps that he was losing clients to a competitor who offered rock-bottom prices with little to no guarantee of quality performance and the folks who owed Lambert money had jumped ship and decided to leave him holding the bag. They couldn't afford to pay him their debt, but they could afford a lesser service, maybe. But after doing the cursory research for this and talking to friends in the field, he found that alas, no, customers of Lambert hadn't gone elsewhere. They had just gone home.

The situation looked dire to John Rondstadt. He had employees to pay, goods to ship, trucks to maintain and overhead that was almost unbearable when compared against the lack of funds that were coming in. At night he would speak to his wife Linda and shake his head in frustration. "I have a bad feeling, Lin," he would say with deep woe."Well, what do you think it is?" she would ask.

John would stare off for a moment and then close eyes. He could see the fleet of trucks he had purchased over the years. He could see them traveling, bringing goods to all of his clients. But somewhere, a haze would form over his fleet and the vast number of vehicles would disappear to but a few. What could cause this ultimate death spiral of business?

"I know what it is," John said. "I've relied too long on the profits I receive from invoices alone. I've let too many of our customers go too long without paying on their bills."Rhonda could only grab her husband's hand and look at him lovingly, "It's a hard economy. It might be awhile until things get settled up."John knew his wife meant well, but he knew that he was responsible for too many people to sit idly by, waiting for the sun to peak over the clouds.

The next day John strolled into his office and was determined to sit down and make every phone call to every client who had owed Lambert money. Now, it wasn't the most efficient way to spend a day as a chief executive, what he really needed to be doing was to be overseeing all of the other intricacies of shipment and delivery and reaching out to prospective clients or retraining his sales team to do the same. Even though he was doing something to help his company, he knew he had folks on salary to do just this thing. Wasting money, wasting time - even with the best of intentions, John knew that he was in trouble.

After a half day of contacting debtors in vain - they dodged his calls or promised to call back at worst or made minimal interest-only payments at best - he was about to throw in the towel when his secretary Beverley knocked at his door."John, can I have a word?" she asked standing in the doorway.

"Sure thing Bev, come on in." John leaned back in his chair and looked expectantly at Beverely. "Well, I did a little searching this afternoon and tried to figure out a way out of this mess John." She pulled a small stack of papers from a folder and set them on the desk before him. "Have you ever heard of factoring?" Beverley asked."It sounds vaguely familiar. What is it?" he said. "Well," she began, "Its actually quite simple really. So basically, factoring invoices would enable us to get paid on the nose for loads that we haul.""Immediately?" John interrupted.

"Yes, immediately," she continued, "In a nutshell, it's pretty easy. We can have an expert account manager review our numbers and help us complete a company profile. That profile will also include investigating our accounts receivable aging reports, our existing customer credit limits and so on. Additionally, the factoring will help to determine the creditworthiness of our customers independent of their credit history with our business. It's a broad view."

"I see," John said. "And then what?""Well, after their review, and we're approved for a factoring contract, we can negotiate terms and conditions. There's a lot of flexibility depending on the business volume and credit histories. This company tells us what the cost will be to purchase factoring for our accounts receivable. We come to an agreement and the funding starts pouring out."John leaned forward and reviewed the paperwork closely.

"It sounds too good to be true, Bev," he said. "Now, now, I know, I thought the same thing. But really, they have guaranteed us experts that do all the legwork, which would free us up here to focus on our clients in good standing and marketing, all that good stuff. And they're flexible John," she underlined a paragraph on the paper before him. "How flexible?" he asked. "They personalize the factoring rates so that the amount they are willing to take on is commensurate with our needs and our client's debt. It only takes 2 to 4 days for this to be figured out.

"That sounds pretty good, seeing as we tapped ourselves out with bank loans last year to repair the fleet and money sure is tight. We need to keep business rolling as normal and every day we're going unpaid, we're closer to facing some serious problems in both the short and long term," John said.

He took a deep breath and looked at his secretary with something she recognized as hope."Exactly". I think this might just be a way out of the trouble we're in with these folks who owe us money."John thought about this and agreed with Beverley. The clients who owed them money were long standing friends and professional resources of Lambert. They didn't want to throw away these relationships because they were having trouble paying their bills now. John knew that the economy had taken a hit and he knew that it would probably be a long time before things started to look up again. That unknown amount of time, if he handled these debtors incorrectly, could spell disaster for both of them. He didn't want to lose business but he also didn't want to lose any more money.

"Well, let me think about this tonight Bev, thank you." Bev nodded, stood up and left the office feeling that she had helped her employer keep on his shirt and hers too.John sat behind his desk and looked over the details Bev had not mentioned in their meeting. What other issues could freight factoring help Lambert with? With his pencil gliding down the sheet he noticed that the factoring company could help fray the cost of fuel with fuel discount cards and fuel advances. In fact, Lambert could receive up to fifty-percent cash advances upon load pick-ups. As a man who hated binding contracts with no room to breathe, he was pleased to see that this factoring company would not make him sign a long term contract, would not make him pay any sign up fees and there was no minimum volume required.

"Well, I'll have to tell Billy about this," John muttered to himself.His son-in-law Billy had liked the idea of Lambert so much and revered his father in law for having such business acumen that only two years before, he had gathered the venture capital to begin his own transportation service company. John knew then what struggles Billy would face but he encouraged him nonetheless. With the faltering economy, if a big fish like Lambert was hurting, a little guy like Billy was about to catch his death. But, an antidote may have been found in freight factoring and John was soon to find out. A few months later after going through the entire application process and having the experts review his accounts receivable, credit history and statements, John found himself beginning to dig his way out of the hole his delinquent account holders had created for him.

They took on reasonable factoring purchase contracts and stopped spending their precious man hours scrambling to collect debt. They took that time and refocused effort to offering competitive prices in new territories. John looked back on the dismal months of life before freight factoring and almost shuddered at the thought. Had he missed the boat on this one, he probably wouldn't be in business today.